Patient access representative vs patient coordinator

The differences between patient access representatives and patient coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a patient access representative and a patient coordinator. Additionally, a patient access representative has an average salary of $33,603, which is higher than the $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient access representative include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a patient coordinator are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Patient access representative vs patient coordinator overview

	Patient Access Representative	Patient Coordinator
Yearly salary	$33,603	$32,954
Hourly rate	$16.16	$15.84
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	151,077	97,878
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patient access representative do?

A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing. Most of the time, A Patient Access Representative encounters the critically ill or injured which is why one must possess great communication skills and compassion.

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

Patient access representative vs patient coordinator salary

Patient access representatives and patient coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Access Representative	Patient Coordinator
Average salary	$33,603	$32,954
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient access representative and patient coordinator education

There are a few differences between a patient access representative and a patient coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Patient Access Representative	Patient Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient access representative vs patient coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between patient access representatives' and patient coordinators' demographics:

	Patient Access Representative	Patient Coordinator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient access representative and patient coordinator duties and responsibilities

Patient access representative example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPPA and clinic.
Conduct intensive screening of all Medicare, Medicaid and manage care patients for provider service eligibility.
Educate eligible applicants about Medicaid manage care and how to access benefits in a manage care environment.
Run internal reports to ensure ICD 9 and CPT procedure codes are accurate for billing for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Deliver quality customer service and compassion while obtaining demographic and financial data from patients seeking emergency medical services.
Operate front desk check-in, preparation of charts, receive payments and balance books at the end of the day.

Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

Patient access representative vs patient coordinator skills

Common patient access representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 13%
Medical Terminology, 9%
Patient Care, 5%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Access Representative
Patient Access Representative vs Patient Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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